The Rules of Employment for The Distinguished Academy of Governesses: Always remember your station. Be sure to maintain a disciplined schoolroom. And never, ever become too familiar with the master of the house...

Lady Charlotte Dalrumple is known as England’s most proper governess, a woman who has never taken a misstep socially--or romantically. On the surface, she seems perfectly suited to accept the challenge of reforming Lord Wynter Ruskin, sadly uncivilized by his travels abroad.

But Wynter has no desire to be taught manners. He glimpsed an uninhibited beauty hiding beneath Charlotte’s prim exterior, and he’d much rather spend his days--and nights--instructing her in the pleasures of the body and the passions of the heart. But before they can love both must also master the Rules of Surrender.

RULES OF ATTRACTION

Hannah Setterington has decided to retire from governessing and become a paid companion to an elderly lady in the country. After all, she's looking for a more restful life. She sees years of calm restfulness ahead.

But when she arrives at the country manse at midnight, the place seems awfully gloomy. And all the servants are most improperly whispering about the master. His strange moodiness... his coldness... and the rumor that he killed his wife.

Back straight, our heroine walks staight into the baron's den, and as she looks at his strong shoulders from behind she instantly knows that he has not killed his wife even though the hairs on her own neck are prickling. He's totally innocent. How does she know? She is his wife.

And the sparks will be flying. . .

Tease for cover of Rules of Engagement

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

Lord Kerrich's position in Queen Victoria's court is imperiled by his rakish reputation, so he attempts a desperate ruse. He hires Miss Pamela Lockhart to find him an orphan to adopt and give the patina of respectability. However, he quickly finds himself loving the irrepressible child---and seducing her beautiful, wary governess.

From the author...

I have a
confession. In a former life, I was a poor but proud Victorian governess. That's
the only obvious explanation for my obsession with governess stories.

I've read
and re-read Jane Eyre and always fiercely wanted to be like Jane — proud,
independent, clever and the winner of a noble (and rich) man’s heart.

I've seen
“The Sound of Music” innumerable times and each time I'm swept up in the
magnificent scenery, the thrilling music and the story of the poor but feisty
governess who captures the noble (and rich) man’s heart.

For me, there’s
something eternally enticing about the tale of a woman who endures personal
hardship, tames unruly children, and at the same time finds, to her surprise,
that she is irresistible to the master of the house. These women are seldom
beautiful, not necessarily well-born, and actively resist love's allure. Yet
love in the shape of a tall, dark and autocratic gentleman finds them, captures
them, and by the end of the story they are wed to that nobleman and enjoying
all the advantages of wealth, privilege and the best sex in the world.

The
Governess Brides series begins when Distinguished Academy of Governesses opens
its doors to train young women for respectable occupations:

Unfortunately,
in RULES OF SURRENDER, Miss Charlotte Dalrumple discovers her first position is
to teach Lord Wynter Ruskin, sadly uncivilized by his travels abroad, to take his proper place in
society. Hint: it doesn't go well.

In
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT, because of his unrepentantly
disreputable ways,
the Earl of Kerrich is in trouble with the queen. His
solution: hire a governess and obtain an orphan to raise. That will make him
appear respectable. Trouble: the kid is charming, he's falling in love with the
unattractive governess … but other than that, what could go wrong? … Oh, so much.

In RULES
OF ATTRACTION, Miss Hannah Setterington travels far into the lonely English
countryside to take a new position and hears rumors that the master killed his beautiful
young wife. Could any situation be worse? Yes, it could, for she knows the
rumors are not true … because she is his runaway wife.

With eleven
full-length books and one novella, the Governess Brides is my longest-running
and most-popular historical series (six of the titles are on the Goodreads List
of Best Governess Romances.) So when Avon Books announced they would repackage
the books to introduce them to a new audience, and showed me the concepts, those
compelling heroes with their direct gazes drew me at once into the
stories. I promptly sat down with the Rules books to reacquaint myself
with the characters and stories and — guess what? I ended up reading them from
beginning to end and living, laughing and falling in love along with my
governess heroines. I've always said I write the books I want to read. I hope
you read and enjoy the Governess Brides, too!

New York Times bestselling author Christina
Dodd builds worlds filled with suspense, romance and adventure and creates the
most distinctive characters in fiction today. Her fifty+ novels — suspense,
paranormals, and historicals — have been translated into twenty-five languages,
won Romance Writers of America’s prestigious Golden Heart and RITA Awards and
been called the year’s best by Booklist. Dodd herself has been a clue in the
Los Angeles Times crossword puzzle — her mother was totally impressed. With
more than twenty-five million of her books in print and eBook, her legions of
fans always know that when they pick up a Christina Dodd book, they’ve found,
“an absolute thrill ride of a book!”

Enter Christina’s worlds at
ChristinaDodd.com and join her free mailing list for book news and sales.